Bill-O closed his dog-and-pony show last night saying “we haven’t heard the last of the Sherrod case.” A warning… or a veiled threat, however we want to take it, I guess.

There’s an important back-story to this that isn’t being widely reported about Ms. Sherrod. 

She has strong links to the civil rights movement. Shirley Sherrod is married to one of the key leaders during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. His name is Charles Sherrod, and he was an early leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC (pronounced “snick”).

From blackpast.org:

“In October 1961, Sherrod became the first field secretary and SNCC director of southwest Georgia. He and Cordell Reagon opened an SNCC office near the all-black Albany State College. On November 1, they launched a student sit-in at the bus terminal station to test the recently enacted law desegregating bus and train terminals. When local law enforcement officials blocked the demonstrators, the single protest became the two-year Albany campaign. It eventually led to multiple protests by thousands of students as well as the involvement of Dr. Martin Luther King, a public plea from President John F. Kennedy to city officials, and resolution of the issue by local black leaders to resolve the issue. Ultimately the civil rights activists organized by Charles Sherrod would prevail.

Developing local leadership was a strong point in Sherrod’s leadership and was an important element in SNCC’s organizational model. Rather than the SNCC or some other organization fighting for the “helpless” black community, the community organized itself with SNCC leaders facilitating that organization.

Sherrod also enlisted white workers to help with voter registration. Five of the 11 workers on SNCC’s local staff were white Northerners. By using interracial voter registration workers, Sherrod intended to show white Southerners that whites were equals, not superiors.”

It would be my best guess that Faux Noose  is going to bring up Ms. Sherrod’s husband, and try to paint him as some wild-eyed black nationalist, or some other ridiculous nonsense. Despite the fact that it isn’t anywhere close to the truth.

But here’s the key piece of information that will serve as the lit match to blow this up again…

After Mr. Sherrod left SNCC, the direction of SNCC changed dramatically when they elected Stokely Carmichael as their chairman.

Yes. The same Stokely Carmichael who was later prominent in the Black Panther Party.

Can’t you picture exactly where this is going?

And, I believe, THAT is where they are going to tie this up in a nice little right-wing paranoid conspiracy package. It’s their bread and butter.

I can already hear the  cries of “Black radicals! SNCC is another racist/socialist organization! They are the equivalent of the Black Panthers!”

That’s my prediction.

I really, really hope I’m wrong on this one. But my gut tells me otherwise. They aren’t about to let this “opportunity” pass.

Okay. One more time. Nuclear power is neither safe nor clean.

As I listened to Obama give his speech, I couldn’t understand why he was buying into this big lie. Nuclear energy is not clean. It does not equate to wind and solar. It’s not even close. Just a couple of points here:

Emissions are not the only consideration at a nuclear plant. Contamination is much more serious. And the recent reports of nuclear plants contaminating surrounding ground water are more than a little alarming.

There is no such thing as a “safe” dose of radiation and just because nuclear pollution isn’t visually there for all to see with thick, black smoke belching out of gigantic smokestacks, doesn’t mean it’s “clean.” For years nuclear plants have been leaking radioactive waste from underground pipes and radioactive waste pools into the ground water at sites across this nation.

There are nuclear sites that are Superfund sites because of the contamination to the areas that surround them — particularly the areas where waste has been disposed of in an unsafe manner for decades. These are the most contaminated patches of land in the country, yet this President has the audacity to call it “clean technology.” What planet is he on?

Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago is a nuclear superfund site. So is Hanford Washington. So is the Idaho National Laboratory and the Nuclear Metals, Inc. site in Concord, Massachusetts, as well as the Gulf Nuclear superfund site in Odessa, Texas, and the Maxey Flats site in Kentucky and the Savannah River site in South Carolina and the Rocky Flats site outside of Denver… the list is very long. And available for all to see — including our President. Why does he ignore the history?

In his address this morning, he’s quoting “experts” from the “energy industry” as PROOF that it’s clean technology. *sigh* I’m sure if he asked Exxon, they would insist oil is “environmentally safe.” The same way that Massey Coal or Peabody believes coal has the capacity to be “clean” through carbon sequestration. Once again, it looks like we have the proverbial Fox writing the nuclear policy for the Henhouse here!

But the gigantic 800-pound gorilla in the Oval Office is the fact that unless and until there is a SAFE DISPOSAL METHOD to deal with the waste, it would be complete folly to continue to create the most hazardous waste known to mankind. And it’s especially insulting when this is proposed as a viable alternative to “dirty” energy sources that we all agree should be phased out as soon as possible. But nuclear power isn’t the answer.

Even a small amount of exposure to radioactive material is dangerous. There are very serious and obvious reasons to look at this subject much more carefully before we decide to guarantee $8 billion in loans to private industry to build and operate these plants. They are very costly to build, and very costly to operate, and without government subsidies, the power generated would be very expensive. The only insurance that can be obtained by these operators is through the Federal Government, as private insurers won’t touch them. It’s a ridiculous boondoggle to taxpayers, and the promise of cheap electricity/clean electricity/getting off foreign oil doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.

Why has the President set aside $11 million to “fight nuclear-related lawsuits” brought by citizens against the Federal Government if this is so safe? It seems the President is very aware of the problems inherent in the use of nuclear power and enriching nuclear material for these plants. Otherwise, why put away funds for lawsuits in the budget? Can’t have it both ways, Mr. President!

So much for trying to be “fiscally responsible.” This could end up costing us much more than I think the American people are willing to pay. If they were told the TRUTH about this industry, that is.

The man thought to be the Father of the Tea Bag movement, Dr. Ron Paul, has been thrown overboard — deep in the heart of Texas, no less. Makes me ask, “Just how conservative must a potential candidate BE?”

Ron Paul has found himself in a hostile takeover situation, with no less than three challengers for his House seat, and all claim to be real Tea Baggers. Dr. Paul begat the Tea Partiers in 2007, on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, when he raised $6 million in a one-day, Web-based fundraiser. That was then.

The challengers Paul will face in the primary all claim to be active in the Tea Bagger movement, having organized local meetings and groups. Gerald Wall, Tim Graney and John Gay all warn Dr. Paul that he isn’t immune to the “anti-Washington” sentiments sweeping the Movement — nevermind that it was all his idea, and he’s been nothing if not consistent in his conservative political beliefs.

It paints an interesting picture, doesn’t it? It appears that this movement that claims to stand on rock-hard “conservative principles,” really stand in quicksand if they can turn their attack dogs on Dr. Paul. So it seems to me that this has absolutely NOTHING AT ALL to do with principles, but is really all about destruction of the system itself. The very system they are signing up to be a part of. Seems an understatement to call it “counterintuitive,” doesn’t it?

If this so-called movement does manage to run the board in elections in November, what could they possibly hope to accomplish? I’ve yet to hear a cogent policy plan from any of these people, including their Queen, Sarah Palin. They haven’t looked past the election. But elections are one thing. The ability to actually govern is quite another. And these clowns haven’t shown they have the intellectual capacity to understand the legislative process, let alone make it work.

I’m waiting for voters to ask them about these things. I’m waiting for positions on real issues to be proffered by even ONE of these possible legislators. So far, we get a lot of ridiculous rhetoric and despicable images and bad spelling on some signs at rallies. As far as I know, “Throw the Bums Out” doesn’t policy make. Nor does “Democrats are Commies.” The Republic Party doesn’t realize (or care) that these upstart Tea Baggers have pulled out the plug in the tub. If successful, the Republics will suffer a gigantic “brain drain” with this new crop of “Revolutionaries,” and they really can’t afford to lose what little “brain” they currently have.

Who would have ever believed that people like Eric Cantor and Mitch McConnell and John Boehner could ever be considered the “brains” of ANY Party? Let’s just hope we don’t wake up and wish for “the good old days.”

Bizzaro World, indeed.

But that’s just My Three Cents…

This weekend I have been talking with a friend of mine who lives in the Washington, DC area. And we have, no doubt, all heard about the massive snow storm that has blanketed the area with around three feet of snow. She relayed a story about trying to go to her local grocery store to pick up a few things on Thursday night, and was astonished to find she wasn’t able to even find a parking space in the lot, with countless cars circling like vultures. But after parking on the street and upon entering the store, THE SHELVES WERE ALMOST BARE! People were in an absolute PANIC. They were rushing out with one or two full shopping carts, not bothering to assess whether or not this was really necessary, or thinking about leaving anything for others. Nerves were frayed and people were beside themselves wondering “whatever will we do?”

I blame the Republic Party.

Thanks to Bush and Cheney, we now live in a constant state of fear in this country. Ever since 9/11, we have all been spoon-fed a constant diet of fear, Fear and more FEAR! And the result is a nation coming unhinged over simple things like snow storms in winter!

After 9/11, we were never allowed to relax. Just when things would seem to calm down, the Bush/Cheney Junta would ramp the fear up again by raising the Terror Alert and that would send people into a panic again. Not only would they use terrorism to control the masses, they began to create many tools guaranteed to instill fear on demand. And it has continued, unabated, for the past nine years.

There was the fear associated with immigrants that the Republic Party ramped up to a fever pitch and is still continuing to this day, thanks to lunatics like Tom Tancredo, who just yesterday showed us his absolute hatred of anyone outside of White America, even going so far as to call for new “Literacy Tests” in order to vote. He is seriously asking America to go back to Jim Crow voter suppression tactics in order to assure only white Americans are allowed to vote in elections. The attack is also on both legal immigrants and undocumented workers crossing the border to work. People like Tancredo and Lou Dobbs couldn’t wait to scare white America with the threat of brown and black people! And some people bought into it.

There was the fear over the H1N1 virus that ramped up last fall, making people believe that there would be a pandemic that could kill us all! What has happened? Well, it’s been shown that hundreds of times more people have died from the regular seasonal flu than from H1N1 this flu season. But Americans sure were scared there for a while!

Even OLD fears have seen a re-birth. Who knew, after more than twenty years after the break-up of the Soviet Union, we’d find ourselves bombarded with fearmongering rhetoric about our “Socialist President,” shown as both Hitler AND Stalin, as if it were honestly a reality. There are no limits. There is nothing too outrageous. And, yet, some people are eating it up like the fat man at the buffet! Yum, yum!

Be afraid! Be very afraid!

Meanwhile, the very things that should scare us to death are overlooked. Our rights being stripped from us through Draconian measures like the PATRIOT ACT have become commonplace, until now most people aren’t surprised when the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, stated this past week that the CIA has the right to put out Mafia-style hits on American citizens living overseas — if they are believed to be involved with “terrorist organizations.” Who needs to bother with burdensome trials? We’ll just kill them!

And so it goes…

So, people in Washington, DC panic at the thought of a week of bad snow storms.

Not surprising when we have been taught to live in a fear-based culture that requires Americans to freak out on command.

One more repulsive legacy of the Bush Junta. And the Lab Rats living in this country have become conditioned very well.

But that’s just My Three Cents…

I’ve been waiting for some media outlet to run a story on a seemingly ignored policy shift concerning the Predator Drone attacks in Pakistan by the CIA. I’m still waiting. So, rather than continue to wait, I decided to put this out there.

We all heard about the CIA deaths in Afghanistan on December 30, 2009, along with the Xe (Blackwater) contractors, after a Jordanian double-agent blew himself up inside a gym at a US installation — because security measures weren’t followed. But what I found most interesting about this story was the comments immediately after the attack. This was widely reported at the time. According to CNN International:

“An American intelligence official vowed Thursday (December 31, 2009) that the United States would avenge a suspected terrorist attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of seven CIA officers.”

So, REVENGE is now the purpose of launching Predator Drone strikes in Pakistan? Is that supposed to be the motive of our intelligence agencies in fighting counter-terrorism? WTF?

I find it interesting that, according to my research, there were 44 Predator Drone strikes in Pakistan in 2009. And since the attack on the CIA base in Afghanistan on December 30, 2009, the CIA has launched at least 11 strikes in Pakistan. In less than one month’s time. That means that in 2009, the CIA averaged 3.6 strikes per month. If we continue the uptick in attacks that we’ve seen since December 30, the total for 2010 could well exceed 132 attacks.

All based on REVENGE.

There were well over 700 civilians killed in these Drone attacks in Pakistan in 2009. In fact, for each Al Qaeda or Taliban member killed in these Drone attacks, there were 140 civilians killed. What a high price to pay for “getting” another “high value terrorist” in Pakistan! And the government always says that they managed to kill the “Number Two” or “Number Three” leader, and it has led me to think… how many Number Two or Number Three leaders of Al Qaeda or the Taliban can there possibly be? WTF?

The other disturbing thing that hasn’t been talked about much, other than Jeremy Scahill who does a phenomenal job reporting on Xe (Blackwater) and their nefarious role in the wars of the past decade, is the fact that CNN International also reported on December 30, 2009:

“Two of those killed were contractors with private security firm Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, a former intelligence official told CNN. The CIA considers contractors to be officers.”

So, not only are these growing numbers of civilians dying in Pakistan out of revenge for the deaths of CIA officers, but also for the deaths of the mercenaries Erik Prince sent to work with the CIA. WTF???

I know there are many stories in the news these days, and there are some that need to be discussed. But there are also “news” stories that are as insipid as the marriage and treatment of sexual addiction of Tiger Woods. But this story, which deserved close scrutiny, not to mention some explanation by Leon Panetta, flies under the radar.

But this is just My Three Cents…

Oh, those Dems in Congress! When will they learn?

The botched election in Massachusetts has their aggregate panties in a wad, and they are behaving as if they aren’t still in the majority! If you listened to the MSM, you’d think the Republics had just won the majority. If you listened to the Republics, you’d think the Republics had just won the majority. If you listened to the Dems, you’d think the Republics had just won the majority. But far be it from me to cast some common sense or reality into this collective delusion, but this is simply ridiculous.

Apparently, they are so afraid of the filibuster that it has legislatively neutered them. Big mistake. They have many options that they are currently choosing not to use. Here are some suggestions:

1. Go ahead and let the Republics filibuster! Give them the rope and let them go. Let the American people see them for what they are — The Grand Obstructionist Party. Let them live with that. Force them to read pages from the phone book. Bring out the cots and make them stay in the well of the Senate. And while they are making fools of themselves on CSPAN, hold press conferences telling the American people exactly what they are trying to block. Let them chase their tails until they tire of their silly game, and then… get on with the legislative business at hand.

2. Remind them about the “nuclear option” that the Republic Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist threatened to use in 2005 when the Dems were filibustering Bush’s judicial appointments. It could be done again, and it would put an end to the filibuster for the remainder of THIS legislative session, and it could be done with a simple majority in the Senate. That would put an end to the temper tantrums being thrown daily by those sore losers on the right. But, once done, it could result in a Pandora’s Box situation when the Republics take control of the Senate again. But it’s an option that could work.

3. Focus on the Populist message that would be a welcome change to what we’ve seen so far from the Dems in Washington. There are many issues that need to be addressed immediately, and the Dems would be foolish to relinquish the position to the Republics, who are running on a faux populist agenda right now, hijacking the Tea Baggers and co-opting their recent popularity among independent voters. It’s an opportunity that Obama has seen, and seems to be acting upon. But talk without action is meaningless. And since it’s up to Congress to DO things, they would be wise to follow that path and enact meaningful legislation that will help everyday people in this country in a real way.

I hold out little hope that things will move in this direction, but it would be a start. If they don’t get their collective shit together, they will continue to splinter and lose support and will be eviscerated in the 2010 election in November. And if that happens… Gawd help us all.

I am Quannah, a long-time commenter on the AlterNet Message Boards.

I admit this is my first attempt at real blogging, so I beg for your patience!

Thanks for reading, if you should choose to do so.

Please check out the blogs I write in “Soapbox” under the title, My Three Cents.

Until later…